Adoption
by Mird
Summary: DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

I wrote this a while ago. I don't know when I'll update it, or IF I'll update it. I just wanted some feedback on the beginning part.

Adoption

Alphonse sat in the corner, watching his brother's sleeping form. He sighed; Ed was going to be angry when he woke up. He hated ending up in the hospital, and although he had acted fully awake when Al had brought him there, he was sure that he hadn't taken any of it in. It had almost been as if his brother was sleepwalking, which is one thing he never did.

When Ed awoke, he would claim that his injuries were minor, just like he always did, and then he would get mad at the doctors when they made him stay longer and rest. Later, he would get up in the middle of the night while everyone else was asleep, and leave through a window with his brother following behind, lecturing him for being irresponsible. Then they'd catch a train and go about their business as usual.

Ed stirred in his sleep, flinching unconsciously as the bruise on his right cheek rubbed against the faded white pillow that he was sleeping on. Al shifted slightly, surprisingly not waking his brother with the loud clanking of his armor. He heard voices outside the door and stopped moving to listen.

"…He's asleep right now, Ms. Cobbold." Al recognized the voice as the doctor that had examined Ed the night before, when they had first arrived. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait to speak to him until he-"

"I'll just speak to the younger sibling, then." Said a haughty female voice. The door burst open loudly and in came the two people who had been conversing in the hallway.

The woman looked around, her sharp gaze landing on Alphonse.

"You are..." She looked at the clipboard in her hands. "Alphonse Elric?"

Al nodded, confused. She looked at Edward, who was lying on the bed nearest to them.

"So, this is Edward Elric, then?" She asked, staring evenly at the unconscious boy. "The famous Fullmetal Alchemist?" Al nodded again, even more confused.

"And, um...You are?" He asked. The woman turned her gaze back to him. A shiver would have run down his spine if he'd had one.

"I am Ms. Cobbold. I'm here to talk to you and your brother about...important matters. Of course, he'll need to be awake for the discussion."

"Yeah." Said Al. "Um...Hey! What are you doing?" Ms. Cobbold stood over Ed and was shaking him awake. His eyes opened sleepily and he yawned, stretching his left arm out. (His automail had been badly damaged, and removed upon his arrival at the hospital.)

"Morning." He said tiredly. "Uh...Who are you exactly?" He stared up at Ms. Cobbold, who introduced herself again.

"I'm here to talk to the two of you."

"Go on." Said Ed, sitting on the edge of his bed and facing the woman. Al came over and sat next to him.

"It is my job to make sure that children are placed in proper homes with families that can successfully care for them. It has recently come to my attention that the two of you are traveling around the country without any supervision whatsoever-"

"We have each other." Ed cut in bluntly. "That counts. If that's all you have to say, I'd suggest you leave. There's nothing to discuss." His tone of voice sounded controlled and reasonable, but Al noticed the iciness behind it.

"I'm afraid that 'each other' isn't quite enough." Said Ms. Cobbold. "Edward has a job, so it is not within my power to send him to a safer environment like an orphanage. But Al, on the other hand-"

"Are you implying..." Ed began coldly. "...That you are going to separate us?"

"I wouldn't call it separating, exactly. You'll be able to see each other a few times a year and-"

"Absolutely not!" Ed yelled, not even attempting to hide the anger in his voice. "Al is staying with me, his big brother, and that's final!"

"Come now." She said, sounding bored. "Look at this from a logical point of view; you're just putting him in danger by letting him come with you." Ed tensed visibly. "He'll no doubt get hurt sooner or later; what kind of brother allows that?"

"Shut up." Ed muttered through clenched teeth. Ms. Cobbold acted as if she hadn't heard him.

"You aren't capable of taking care of him. When you think about it, you'll realize it's true. You're disabled."

Ed stiffened even more and looked away. It was Al's turn to get angry now.

"Don't say that!" He shouted, glaring at her. He placed a metal hand on his brother's shoulder where his arm should have been. Ed's shoulders slumped and he still didn't look up.

"Ed's been taking care of me for years! He'd never let me get hurt!"

"Well, not intentionally, of course." Said Ms. Cobbold. "But you never know. You'd definitely be safer in an orphanage."

"Away from Ed?!" Al exclaimed.

"Oh yes. You'd be ESPECIALLY safe if you were away from Ed."

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Ed asked quietly, still staring at the floor.

"You aren't a safe influence on your younger brother." She replied simply. "He needs a qualified guardian. Someone like you just won't do. Constant trips aren't a good way for Al to spend his childhood. He needs to go to school and learn to be away from you; you'll both get used to it."

"So you're saying..." Ed began, sounding deep in thought. "...That I'm not doing a good job of taking care of Al?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying." Ms. Cobbold said. "If you really care about him, you'll forget your selfish desires and let him stay in a place where he can be truly safe. There are plenty of open rooms at Central Orphanage."

Ed didn't speak; it was Al who objected this time. "I'm NOT going to an orphanage! Ed is the only family I have left, and I'm the same to him. He's the only one who can keep me safe. If anyone else was taking care of me, I'd most likely have died years ago!"

Ms. Cobbold sighed. "I know you don't like it, but I have authority in this situation. If I tell you to go to an orphanage because there is real danger involving your legal guardian, you have to do what I say."

"But Ed's the only one who can take care of me!" Al protested.

"Prove it."

"If I prove it, will you let Ed keep taking care of me?"

"...We'll see." With that she stood up and turned around to leave. She was about to step out the door when she stopped and turned around. "Come on, Al. I'm taking you to your new home."

"...Wait, what?! Al!" Ed yelled, his eyes wide. "What do you mean his new home?! Didn't I tell you he's staying with me?!"

"And didn't I tell you that I have authority in this situation?" She replied coldly. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stop arguing."

Ed stared at her silently for a few moments. "...Okay. I understand." He replied eventually.

"Good. Come on, Al." She obviously expected him to follow her, but he was stuck to the spot with shock.

"What? Ed, you're just...going to let me go?" He sounded completely disbelieving.

Ed looked down. "You heard her. It's useless to argue." He went silent for a moment before continuing. "...I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. I'll visit as much as possible, I promise. Now come say goodbye."

Al took a few seconds to take in what his brother was saying, then walked over to him. He gave him a gentle hug and received a one-armed embrace back.

"Goodbye."

"...Goodbye."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Ed threw open the doors of Colonel Mustang's office with less force than usual. He tossed his report onto his superior's desk without a single word. The colonel looked up, surprised.

"What? That's it?" He asked. "No yelling? No tearing up my office?" Ed didn't answer; he only continued walking towards the door, shoulders hunched and mismatched hands in pockets.

Roy's teasing voice changed to a concerned one. "Is something wrong?" Ed still didn't answer; he stopped moving too. He stared at the wall, his mouth slightly open and eyes glazed over.

Roy's brow furrowed as he stood up and walked over to the young alchemist. He waved a hand in front of his face, effectively breaking his concentration.

Ed looked up at him, still half in a trance. "...Hey." He said, raising one arm in a half hearted wave.

"What's wrong with you today?" Roy demanded. "You haven't been acting loud and obnoxious like usual." Ed shrugged.

"I'm tired. I don't like sleeping in empty rooms; it makes me nervous."

"Why would you sleep in an empty room?" Roy asked, confused.

Ed didn't answer. He just continued talking. "And now I'm tired AND distracted, because I need to prove that I'm a good guardian for Al but I don't know how and-"

"Ed!" Roy shouted. "Snap out of it! Just tell me what's going on!" Ed blinked and got a confused look in his eyes, as if he had forgotten that Roy was even in the room. He looked at the floor.

"When I was in the hospital last week, this lady named Ms. Cobbold came..." He began, obviously not wanting to remember it in such detail. "She said that Al wasn't safe with me around. So now he's at an adoption center unless I can prove that I can do a good job of taking care of him." He swallowed hard, nervous of his position.

Roy blinked, taking in what the younger man had just said. "Alphonse...Is in an adoption center?" Ed nodded.

"...But they said he can come back if I prove that I can take good care of him. Except, I don't know how to prove something like that."

Roy looked up thoughtfully. "...Where is it?"

"Where's what?"

"The adoption center. I'll take you there, if you tell me where it is."

"Oh. It...It's on Lake street. 4805 Lake Street." Ed said. Roy nodded slightly, then turned towards the door and walked out. He turned back, his hand keeping the door from slamming closed.

"Well? Aren't you coming?"

Ed blinked and nodded, following his superior officer down the winding halls of HQ and out into the warm, spring air.

* * *

Days earlier, Central Orphanage

* * *

Al looked up at the bleak building with its gray sign reading 'Central Orphanage' above the huge front door. it was an old building, but it wasn't like old libraries or museums, which were works of art in his opinion. This was ugly and broken with age.

"This will be your new home." Ms. Cobbold said. "That is, until you are adopted."

"What about Ed?" Al asked. "When do I get to see him again?"

Ms. Cobbold paused before answering. "While we are legally inclined to let the two of you visit, I still don't think you're safe around him."

"So what's the answer?"

"...We'll see." With that, she pushed open the heavy wooden doors and led Al into a huge entry room.

"You'll be staying in room 105. Down the hall and to the left is the dining hall. If you're late for a meal, you don't get anything."

-That's fine by me...- He thought, but said nothing.

She continued. "You will stay here either until you are adopted or until you turn eighteen. Now, I'll show you to your room."

Al followed Ms. Cobbold silently into a small, one-windowed room down the hall. There was one bed inside, and everything was surprisingly neat.

"Dinner is in an hour." She said. "You'll find your way." Al nodded. She glared at him silently, as if she didn't trust him, then shut the door and left.

* * *

Al's first few days at the orphanage passed without much excitement, other than the fact that he had to constantly come up with excuses for the usual questions.

"How'd you get to be so tall?" A little girl had asked him in awe on Monday.

"I drank LOTS of milk." Al lied. He would have smiled if he could at the look on her face; she looked as put off as Ed would have been at his answer.

"Why do you wear armor?" A boy with thick glasses asked on Tuesday.

"It's because I time-traveled here. I'm from the middle ages." Al had replied. "But don't tell anyone; it's a secret."

"Why don't you ever eat at mealtime?" A rather snobbish boy demanded on Wednesday.

"I'm an alien." Al stated simply. "I get my nutrition from the sun and air."

To tell the truth, he was having a lot of fun coming up with replies to all their questions. It gave him something to do, something to think about.

During the day, that is.

At night, he was even lonelier than usual. His brother had always been there at night, even if he was asleep. But now Al was all alone, stuck in a tiny, empty room for the entire night.

But he wasn't alone forever. On Thursday, Marcy moved in.

* * *

Al heard the voice of Ms. Cobbold outside the door again, this time at the Adoption Center, not the hospital.

"You'll be staying with Alphonse, who just moved in a few days ago. PLEASE try to get along with him." Her voice, Al noticed, was not pleading like most people were when begging someone to get along. It was commanding.

"Right-o." Said another voice. It was slightly slurred and had a bit of a southern accent to it.

The door opened with a click. Ms. Cobbold stood framed in the doorway, holding the shoulder of a tall, thin girl with her right hand. Her fingers were long and painted red, making it look like she was a huge monster with blood on her claws, ready to take the girl away when given the chance.

"This is Marcy." Ms. Cobbold said, a slight hint of contempt in her voice. "She'll be staying with you. DON'T get into any trouble." She glared at Marcy, who saluted teasingly before stepping into the room. The door slammed behind her.

"Hey." Marcy said. She smiled widely, revealing three small gaps where teeth should have been.

"What's wrong with your teeth?" AL asked curiously. "Are you still missing some?"

Marcy blinked. "No." She said simply. "I'm fourteen; they all grew in ages ago. I lost three of them again, permanently. I fell off a bike and chipped them on the sidewalk." She shrugged. "It's not really a big deal. I mean, at least not missing an arm or a leg or something, ya know?"

Al nodded solemnly, filling the room with awkward silence. Marcy, looking uncomfortable with the lack of noise, started talking again.

"So, the ol' hag out there said you just got here." Al nodded, allowing her to continue.

"Your parents just die?" She asked sympathetically.

Al shook his head. "My mom died ages ago. My brother's been taking care of me for the past few years. But then they decided that he wasn't a good guardian or something, and that was that. So, now I'm here."

"WAS he a bad guardian?" Marcy asked. "Or were they just bein' bitches, taking you away?"

"...The second one." Al replied.

"Huh. Well, isn't that somethin'? See, my parents WERE bad guardians. Mine's just another one of those pathetic child abuse stories. I've been going to different adoption centers for years and years, ever since I was just five or six. Never been adopted. Well, I was once. But they returned me, like I was a birthday present that came broken or something like that. Not that I mind, o' course. I don't want to be adopted."

"Why not?" Al asked curiously.

"Just 'cause." She sighed. "I dunno. It's like, once I'm adopted, I have to be good. And behave. And not talk back, and be grateful and all that shit. It just sounds like so much more WORK. Like, if I had normal parents, I could say that I hated them and they wouldn't care because it's just a 'phase' and I'll get over it. But with adopted parents, oh no, if I say I hate them, they take it as a serious offense. 'I took you in when you had nowhere else to go, and now you cause nothing but trouble!' No thanks." She twirled a lock of stick-straight, dried-mud colored hair around her finger.

"So, what was that brother of yours like?" She asked.

"His name's Ed." Al said. "He's only a year older than me, but he takes good care of me."

Marcy looked surprised. "Only a year older? Holy shit, how'd HE manage to stay away from the adoption center loonies?! He's just as bad off as you!"

"He has a job." Said Al simply. "Ms. Cobbold said that she's not aloud to take him away from that."

"What sort of job?"

"He's a state alchemist. Fullmetal."

Marcy's eyes widened. "I heard of him! Yeah, I remember! He's in the newspaper sometimes, ain't he? For, like, destroying buildings and stuff. HE'S the oh-so-great you were talking about?"

Al nodded indignantly. "He always fixes the buildings he breaks, you know. And he's always careful that no one gets hurt. He-"

A knock on the door cut Al short before he finished his sentence.

"Alphonse, please come out here." Said the tight voice of Ms. Cobbold. "Despite our best efforts, your brother is here to see you."


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the delay…I've had writers block for a while on this story. Ideas are appreciated, as long as they aren't simply "Ms. Cobbold dies and Ed is hot." *glareglare at Camille*

Anyways, I called Ms. Cobbold a bitch three times in rapid succession. She's without a doubt THE worst OC I've ever made….

Chapter 3

Ed stood at the door, feeling awkward. He'd never been to an orphanage, or anywhere similar, before, and didn't know how to act. Should he feel sorry for the downcast little girl walking past him, wearing the same look on her face as he had at his mother's funeral? Should he laugh at the two boys making jokes about that bitchy Ms. Cobbold behind her back?

Eventually he decided to just be happy that he was seeing Al again. That is, unless Ms. Cobbold had already disposed of him. He wouldn't put it past her.

His fears about his brother's fate at the hands of the biggest bitch on the face of the planet were soon forgotten.

"Big brother!" Al called as he rushed down the stairs, his armor making loud clanking sounds as he did so.

Ed's face broke into a grin. "Hey, Al! Glad to see you're okay. I was worried that something happened to you, seeing as that Cobbold bitch dragged you away without any means for your oh-so-helpful big brother to save you."

He gave Al a hug, wrapping his arms around his brother's armor body as much as he could. Al returned the favor, nearly lifting Ed off the ground.

"Aw, how sweet," Marcy's voice came from her perch on the railing of the staircase. Ed eyed her warily, not liking the sight of her smirking face which reminded him vaguely of Mustang. "So, Al says he's pretty fond of you. I guess he wasn't lying, hmm?"

"Who's that?" Ed asked with a sigh, tired of everyone bugging him about every possible aspect of his existence; Mustang about his height, Scar about his job and now Cobbold about how he took care of Al. He didn't need to have any more fun poked at him about his shitty life.

"Oh, that's Marcy..." Al replied uncertainly. Truthfully, he didn't know how to introduce her. "Uh...I'm sharing a room with her. She's...Er, pretty nice I guess." He let go of his brother, their hug over.

Ed got a strange look on his face. "You're sharing a room with a girl...Where you'll be sleeping...In two beds within a few feet of each other..."

"Ed!"

"Ah, calm down," Marcy snorted, "I'm not gonna DO anything. How could I, him bein' in that armor and all?"

"When did YOU start worrying about that kind of stuff, Fullmetal?" the mocking voice of the colonel came from the doorway where he was leaning casually. Ed shrugged.

"Uh...Could you two, like...Leave, or something. I'd like to talk to MY little brother without an audience. Please? Thanks." He took Al by the hand and led him into the first room he saw which happened to be a very small, very under-stocked library. The dusty shelves each had about three books on them, at the most.

"I missed you, big brother," Al said softly. "I'm really lonely...I mean, Marcy's here now, but I've only just met her less than an hour ago."

Ed nodded. "I miss you too. I feel really uncomfortable sleeping in an empty room. Just...Promise you won't let yourself get adopted, okay? I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I just let you go to some people I don't know. And never seeing you again...Sounds like my own personal hell."

"Don't worry. I won't be here forever. We'll figure this out...Right?" Ed didn't answer. Feeling uncomfortable with the silence, Al changed the subject. "How're you doing on your research?"

Ed looked up, more relaxed to talk about a subject he was more familiar with. "Not so good. I haven't found any leads since that last dead end, and all the books I've found in the library, I've already read. But I think I have an idea of how to get your body back once we do find the stone..."

Al only half-listened as Ed explained his theory. He was too busy thinking of his own idea of the regaining of his body; or more, the aftermath.

"Ed..." he interrupted. Ed blinked, as if he had forgotten that Al was even there.

"What is it?" He asked, a bit annoyed at being cut short during his explanation.

"What if...What if I get my body back, but I still have to stay at the orphanage? And what if they make you leave and we don't get to do all the things we planned, and my first meal in four years is going to be the food they serve here that everyone says is so bad?"

Al's voice sounded nervous; almost afraid. Ed bit his lip, not sure how to reassure his brother, or even if he could. Truth be told, he shared Alphonse's fears. He had been trying to convince himself of their falsity for days and had hoped that Al could help him achieve such relief, but that wasn't the case.

He patted Al awkwardly on the back, making the usual yet strange clanging sound of metal on metal. "We'll just worry about when the time comes," he said, telling Al the only thing he could without feeling guilty of lying. "Hopefully, we won't have to, right?"

"...Right."

* * *

REVIEWS


	4. Chapter 4

I had writers block for SUCH a long time…Sorry for the short chapter, by the way.

Chapter Four

As promised, Ed visited his brother as often as possible.

However, as often as possible wasn't very often at all.

Ms. Cobbold seemed completely focused at keeping the two of them as far away from each other as humanly possible. Ed only got to visit once a week, at the most, and those few times were precious to him. He never wasted the opportunity with pointless small talk; it was always important conversations, keeping Alphonse updated on anything and everything that was going on outside the orphanage.

When Ed got his latest mission, he wanted to make it quick. Without Al being there, however, he worked much slower. It was unsettling; the person who had been at his side for the last four years, through every bad turn and the occasional lucky streak, even through the life-threatening battle, was no longer there. All because he was 'doing a bad job taking care of him.'

With these thoughts on Ed's mind as he stepped off the train, three weeks after he had departed from the same station, he began heading to the orphanage. His report to Colonel Mustang could wait; he needed to see Al again, to be assured that he was safe.

His quick pace through the streets of Central city was changed to a run, then became a sprint, hoping beyond hope that he could remember where that damned orphanage WAS.

A gate at the corner of his line of vision caught his eye. He skidded to a stop and stared up at the huge building where Al was, somewhere inside. After spending a few moments catching his breath, he turned around and marched determinedly up to the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited, the sound of footsteps inside growing closer with every second.

The door opened, and there stood Ms. Cobbold herself, staring down at Ed disapprovingly.

"I thought you had finally disappeared," she said in the same haughty voice she always used when speaking to him.

"I was just on a mission," he replied coldly. "Now let me in; I want to see Al."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," she said, blocking the doorway with her arm.

Ed snorted. "Look, I know you don't like me, but you said yourself that you, legally, HAVE to allow us to see each other. Now move your-"

"It's not possible," she repeated. "Alphonse is no longer here. He was adopted two weeks ago."


	5. Chapter 5

BWA HA HA, DOUBLE UPDATE DAY!

Almost Parental!RoyEd, but not quite.

Chapter 5

"Roy."

Roy looked up from his paperwork to see the face of Riza Hawkeye as she loomed over him.

"Yeah?" he asked, the seriousness of her face not present in his voice.

"Edward called from the train station at noon. He said he was going to be turning his report in today. He's still not here."

"He said he was going to go visit Al first. You know how long he takes when it comes to that."

"Even so, he should have been here by now. He called hours ago."

Roy shrugged. "Maybe he's in his room...I'll call the hotel, hang on."

He reached over the messy pile of papers that adorned his desk and picked up the phone, dialing the number of Ed's hotel.

The owner picked up and, after stating his name as well as the business name, asked who Roy was calling for.

"Has Edward Elric come back to the hotel yet? This is his superior officer and I need to speak with him."

"He came back a few hours ago. I'll go get him."

There was a long pause, lengthening from a few seconds to a few minutes. Roy was just about to hang up when he heard a thump on the other line as the owner picked the phone up again.

"I knocked on the door but he didn't answer. I know he's there, though; I heard him inside. Perhaps you should come try to speak to him?"

"Yeah, I think that'd work best...I'll be there soon..." Groaning inwardly at the idea of trying to deal with Edward when he obviously didn't want to talk to anyone, he stood up and reached for his coat.

* * *

"Fullmetal?" Roy knocked on the door for what felt like the millionth time. "Fullmetal, are you okay? Hello?"

He heard movement inside but nothing more.

"Look, Ed, you were supposed to hand in your report hours ago. Just let me in so I can read it, and then I'll leave, okay?"

Again, there was noise but no answer.

Roy sighed. "I'm coming in." Surprisingly, the door was unlocked. Ed seemed like the last person who would do that, seeing as he actually rather careful about what he did, despite popular opinion. Roy opened the door with a creak and stepped inside.

It was a reasonably bare hotel room. There was a single bed and a couch piled with pillows and blankets, as well as a tiny kitchen in the corner. Ed was nowhere to be seen.

Roy peered into the kitchen and saw the burnt remains of a meal that had never been eaten. There was a broken dish on the floor, shattered into countless pieces that looked as if it had been broken on purpose.

Stepping back into the main part of the room, he called out again. "Fullmetal, I just need your report. Come out and give it to me and I can leave."

"Go away."

Roy jumped, surprised by the muffled voice coming from under the pile of pillows and blankets on the couch.

"Go away," the voice repeated. "I'm trying to sleep. I'm not up to doing anything else right now."

Roy sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "What's wrong, Fullmetal?" he asked in a resigned tone of voice. "Are you sick or something?"

There was no answer.

"...Fullmetal?"

Still no answer.

"Fullmetal!" Roy's voice grew angry. "Speak when spoken to! I asked you a question, give me an answer!"

Still no answer.

His anger growing, Roy wrenched the top blanket off the pile, coming face to face with the youngest state alchemist in history. His eyes widened.

Edward was known for being strong; imagine Roy's shock when his usually fierce, determined, angry eyes held a look of fear and confusion with ever-so-tiny tears in the corner.

Shocked, Roy stepped back. "...What's wrong?" he asked softly, a nervous look on his face. He had learned how to play the fatherly part of a man's personality by hanging out with Hughes as often as he did, but he had never thought that it would apply to Edward.

"Al got adopted," Ed stated simply, squeezing his eyes shut so that no tears could pass through. "He got adopted, and now he's staying with a bunch of people I don't know and can't trust, and Ms. Cobbold won't even tell me where he is...Because she doesn't want us having contact with each other anymore...And...And...I can't help him. He's my little brother and I'm supposed to take care of him and I CAN'T!" He turned his head away from Roy and into the back of the couch, shaking with silent tears.

He didn't know what to say. First of all, Ed crying was like the sky turning pink or Havoc stealing one of his girlfriends. _But then again, it must have really come as a shock for the kid..._ he thought to himself. _Al's his only family..._

He patted Ed's back awkwardly, trying to show some kind of sympathy. He wasn't one for mushy conversations, so he was sure that it would be easier said than done.

"Don't worry. Look, Ed, it's going to be okay in the end..." He racked his mind for anything that could sound even mildly comforting. The tears were subsiding a little, but it was still a strange phenomenon to see the Ed, of all people, crying.

"Stop it." Ed's voice was curt and demanding. "It's weird. You're not a caring person; you're a selfish, womanizing bastard. That's how it's supposed to be. Don't make my life even more misaligned than it already is."

Roy moved away, silently grateful at the excuse to stop the awkwardness. "You done crying yet?" he asked, although he kept the teasing tone out of his voice. It was the smallest of favors he could give the boy.

Ed sat up, hugging his knees. The only part of his face that was visible was his eyes, still wet from crying.

Roy gave a long, deep sigh. "I guess I don't have a choice. There's no way you'll be able to on your own."

Ed gave him a confused look. "What're you talking about?"

"I'm going to help you find Al."

* * *

About the phone thing…Something similar to that happened in the manga, so I assumed that's how it works. (Calling people at hotels.) If it's not…Meh. Whatever.

I know Ed doesn't cry very easily, but I still think he would in this situation. I mean, seriously; Al is his only family, and suddenly some bitchy lady takes him away, he gets adopted by some random person, and now Ed has no idea where he is.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Roy emerged from the office, closing the door with a click. Ed's hopeful eyes met his and he shook his head.

"She wouldn't tell me where he is."

Ed's face fell. "But..But we NEED to find him!" he said desperately. "He...I...We..." He fell silent, unable to finish any of the sentences he had started.

Roy sighed. He leaned over slightly so that he was looking Ed in the eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder. Ed flinched at the sudden contact, but said nothing.

"Ed, we're going to find you're brother. It's going to be hard since she won't tell us who he could be with or where he could be, but we'll find him. I'm not the kind of person who gives up, and neither are you."

Ed nodded weakly. "Right." He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts, and then began to speak again. "What do we do now?"

"You two's wanna know what to do, huh?"

Ed turned sharply at the sound of a vaguely familiar voice. There was Marcy, Al's previous roommate, standing in the doorframe.

"What do you want?" he asked, sounding resigned to whatever her answer might be.

"What do I WANT?" Marcy asked. She laughed. "Well, whaddya' know? The kid who just lost his only brother is asking _ME_ what _I_ want! Ain't THAT somethin', huh? So, what do I want, huh? Well, mister Fullmetal, sir, I want exactly what you want. I want that weirdo metal brother of yours to be wherever the hell HE chooses to be. Where he feels comfortable. And, I'd guess, that'd be with YOU, his oh-so-protective big brother. See, I'm rather fond of that kid. Yup, fond I am, fond I am. Just about the nicest guy I've met in my whole life, and believe me, I've met quite a bit o' people, quite-o-bit. So on account of that, I'm gonna tell you two strangers where Al went. Ah, yes, I know where he went. Question is, does YOU wanna know?"

"Yes!" Ed exclaimed, before Roy could even translate what she'd said into a more understandable version of the English language. "Yes, yes, oh FUCK yes, tell me where he is, please!" The tone of desperation had become even more evident in Ed's voice, noticeably so.

She grinned. "'Course, first yer gonna have to pay the price. Equivalent exchange, thas' the only thing I knows about alchemy. A couple thousand cens should do."

Edward immediately reached for his wallet, only to be stopped halfway when he felt Roy's hand on his shoulder again.

"Fullmetal, if she's going to charge us, her information is probably fake. She just wants to earn some money."

"I don't care," Ed replied bluntly. "I don't care. Even if it's not real, ANY possible lead is relevant." He fished out a small fortune and held it towards her at arms length.

She blinked and her face broke into a grin. She started laughing, a raspy, wheezing sound. "You pass."

"...Huh?"

"I'm not gonna charge ya; I just wanteds to see how much this really meant to ya. Thas' all."

"So you're really going to tell us where Al is?!" Ed exclaimed, his face lighting up.

Marcy nodded. "A-yup! He's on 5892 York Street. He got adopted by Ms. Nora Swain. She saids that she just recently lost her husband and son in an accident, 'least, that's what she says. I've heard of some pretty rotten liars, comin' to adoption centers with tragic stories an' adopting kids to treat like slaves. They're usually insane, belogin' in mental hospitals or somesuch. Scary folks, they are. Jimmy just came back from one of those and all we can do is pray to the lord that Al don't have to."

"WHAT?!" Ed's face held an expression of pure horror. "Anyone kidnaps my brother and I swear they'll be dead within a minute!"

"I don't doubt that," Marcy muttered. "We'll just hope it don't come to that, right?"

* * *

The house wasn't too big or too small. It was average size with a messy, yet nice, front lawn. Ed walked up the paved walkway and pressed the doorbell, the melodic chime making it all the way to the ears of those outside.

After a few moments, the door creaked open. A woman, probably in her mid-thirties, stood in the doorway, eyeing the three of them with confusion.

"What's a military officer doing at my house?" she asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh!" said Roy, sounding surprised. "I'm sorry ma'am; I forgot to take of my uniform. I'm here for personal matters; this is set aside from work."

"Can we come in?" asked Ed, hiding all anger from his voice.

"I don't see why not," she said with a shrug, stepping away from the door and allowing them to pass.

The interior of the house was as average as the exterior; not too clean, not too dirty. They stood in the living room where there were two chairs and a couch, as well as a fireplace lined with photographs. Each of the four of them sat down, Roy and Marcy on the couch and Ed and Nora in the two chairs.

"If you don't mind me asking..." she began, eyeing them warily, "...What exactly are you doing here?"

Roy and Marcy both looked at Ed, willing him to explain. He sighed. "I'm Edward Elric. And apparently...You've adopted my brother."

"Oh! You mean Alphonse?"

Ed nodded.

"Yes, I adopted him. He's a very nice boy...So YOU'RE his brother? You don't seem so bad..."

"What do you mean?" Ed asked in an annoyed tone of voice.

"Well, Ms. Cobbold said that you keep 'causing trouble' and 'don't give Al the things he needs for a healthy childhood'. Or something like that."

"Excuse me?" Ed said defiantly.

"Do you want to see him?" she asked. Ed's face lit up.

"Yes! Yes! Please, let me see him!"

She laughed. "You must really like him...Hang on I'll go get him."

Ed couldn't sit still during the wait. He tapped his foot restlessly and subconsciously played with the zipper of his jacket.

Roy and Marcy sat in awkward silence, listening to the faint sound of footsteps upstairs. A second pair of footsteps soon joined the first, these ones much louder and faster, so much so that they soon turned into a run. "Big brother?" Al shouted as he rushed down the stairs.

Ed stood up, a look of surprised happiness on his face. "Al! You're okay!"

Al picked up his brother in a bone-breaking hug. "It's so good to see you! How come it took you so long?!"

"I just got back from a mission. I asked Ms. Cobbold where you were, but she wouldn't tell us, so I had to get creative." He gave Marcy a glance.

"Ms. Cobbold wouldn't tell you where your brother went?" Nora asked, looking worried. "I suppose that would be okay if you were an abusive parent or something, but..."

"She thinks I'm a 'negative influence' on him," Ed snorted as Al dropped him to the floor again. "It's because I'm in the military."

"No, it's because you do things without thinking."

"Shut up! You're too smart to be 'influenced' by me! Or by anyone!" Ed said angrily. "She's just a bitch, that's all. She doesn't care about us; she just wants to separate us for whatever reason."

"Please, sit down," Nora's voice cut in. "We need to clear this up."

* * *

"My husband and only son died in an accident a few months ago. I suppose I was rushing it, adopting someone so soon, but...But it was so lonely, being in this empty house all day. I was on the verge of divorce with my husband, but I was very close to my son. I didn't want to go through dating and marriage again. I just want a son, and Al is so much like him...But if I had known that he had someone already, I wouldn't have. I'm sorry. If you want, I could adopt someone else..."

"Nora," Ed paused. "That's your name, right?" She nodded. "Nora, do you promise to take care of Al? REALLY good care of him?"

Nora nodded. "Yes. He doesn't need much, he said so himself, but that doesn't change a thing."

"...You told her?" Ed said worriedly, addressing his brother.

"Oh! Yeah, I did. I didn't tell her how I got like this, I just explained about my body. I don't her to waste food for my sake."

Ed nodded. "Anyways...Al's staying with you."

"What? Really? But I thought that you..."

Ed silenced her with a shake of his head. "If he went back to the orphanage, someone else would eventually come along and adopt him instead. If anyone but me has to take care of him, I want it to be someone like you."

"Thank you," said Nora, bowing her head. "You're free to come see him whenever you want, by the way. I'm not going to try and keep you two apart. I really don't know what Ms. Cobbold was thinking..."

Ed nodded. "Well...Good bye, then. Good bye, Al."

"Oh...Good bye, big brother." Al waved without his usual enthusiasm.

"Hey Al, does ya not like yer new home or somethin'? You seem kinda sad," said Marcy, speaking up for the first time since they had arrived at the house.

"Huh? Oh, no, I like it here," Al said, drawing Ed's attention. "I just...I don't want big brother to leave so soon. I haven't seen you in weeks."

"Sorry, Al," Ed said with a tiny smile. "I'll be back. But I have a report to hand in."

"That's right," said Roy. "And I'm not going to wait much longer to get it."

* * *

"What's wrong, Fullmetal?" Roy asked as they stepped outside the house.

Ed sighed. "I didn't think she'd be so...So NICE," he muttered. "I would have liked it if she WAS a slave driver; I could just beat her up, take Al and get out. But now...I feel like taking him back would do nothing but harm."

"There are situations like that, Fullmetal. You'll figure out what to do- that's the kind of person you are."

"Yeah," said Ed, sighing again. "I guess you're right."

* * *

I don't really know where to go from here…Any ideas?

REVIEWS


	7. Chapter 7

**Adoption is being discontinued.**

**Eh…Sorry. But…I got a few bad reviews…And while this usually wouldn't bother me, I realized…They had a point.**

**This just isn't good enough to live up to my high expectations. This is the fourth story I've discontinued…Again, I'm sorry, A lot of people liked this one, but, to tell the truth…I really just don't know what would happen next. *shrugs* Sorry, again.**

***bows***

**Here is something to make it up to you:**

"**Big brother!" Al exclaimed, giving Ed a big, huge hug. "I missed you!"**

"**I missed you too!" said Ed, hugging Al back. Now the Elric bros. are together again.**

**Ed is hot.**

**Imagine Ed's hotness.**

**…**

**Here's a picture to help: http: / / notashrimp dot com / wallpaper_files / bed3 dot jpg**

**Okay.**

**Now.**

**Ms. Cobbold was walking down the street. Envy turned into a pigeon and crapped on her head repeatedly. She is allergic to pigeon crap, so she started hyperventilating.**

**Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and stared at her extremely tiny brain. Her teeth all fell out and got lodged in her throat.**

**There was much spontaneous combustion and tap dancing.**

**Three hours later, all that was left was a small puddle of gross-smelling liquid.**

**The End.**


End file.
